Lemlem: Ancient technique, modern style and a double mission

In a nutshell:

What they make: Hand-spun cotton garments for women & kids

How they make a difference: By manufacturing all pieces by hand in Ethiopia, they provide its people jobs and economic independence while preserving the traditional art of weaving.

Who they help: Ethiopian artisans losing jobs due to low demand.

Where to buy their products: their website, Barneys NY, Net-a-Porter

Where they are: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

African hand weaving (a method of fabric production, normally done on a loom) is an art that is as beautiful as it is ancient. Unfortunately, it is also endangered. Countries like Ethiopia have experienced a deep decline in the demand of garments made with this historically significant and beautiful, technique. The reason? Mostly practicality. Women prefer saving these outfits for special occasions and wear machine-made outfits on their day-to-day lives. It makes sense, in a way, but it is also leaving artisans out of work and even worse, threatening to make this ancient art form extinct. Made aware of this situation in her own home country, supermodel Liya Kebede created Lemlem, a high end fashion line made in Ethiopia, determined to provide dignified jobs while preserving the traditional art of weaving. 

Keeping the focus on the fashion brand 

I will be honest, I had a bit of a hard time finding a lot of information on the "behind the scenes" aspects of this company. At first I was a bit frustrated, as my fascination with the artisan stories and the impact these companies have on their communities are some of the main reasons I created this blog.  But then I realized the reason is that Lemlem is actually doing what I always say mission-driven fashion brands should do:  not forget that working on the fashion brand is as important as working on the actual mission.  Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that the fashion and the mission have the same significance. But succeeding on the mission does depend on the success of the fashion brand as a revenue driver.  One cannot really exist without the other.  More times than not, mission driven companies forget about this and let their passion for their mission and the impact they are having on their community overshadow the brand they are building and thus take the focus away from the products they create. The result, is a customer's strong reaction of solidarity that despite being noble and great, does not often result in repeat sales and market share growth. And even if it sounds cold, working on growing the company's revenues is vital to the continuing success of its mission.

Lemlem does a great work at telling the story behind their garments and communicating the importance of the company's mission while keeping the focus of their brand on the beautiful products they make. When you visit their website, you learn about hand-spun cotton and Ethiopian weaving, but you do that while checking out their latest collection and building a mental wish-list. That's the way to do it.  As much as I LOVE to learn about the impact many mission-driven companies are having, many times I find myself learning about it for hours and watching heart-warming photos and many times forgetting that I actually was visiting an online store and failing to contribute to their progress (by failing to purchase items or spread the word about their brand). The shopping experience at Lemlem's site is different. It's much more focused; you are very aware of the origin and impact of the garments, but your attention is always centered around the garments, possible outfits and the details that make them one of a kind.

What makes their garments unique

Lemlem is characterized by fresh, easy-to-wear casual garments with a very distinct Made-in-Africa-meets high-fashion style. All pieces are handmade. Typically women are in charge of hand-spinning cotton and doing the actual sewing and men take care of hand-weaving the fabrics. Often described as "holiday" or "resort" fashion, most of the line's most popular items are either dresses, loose tops or scarves. The line started as a children's line, but it only became famous once it started including women's apparel on their catalog. The line now expands to shoes, accesories and even home decor.

Lemlem's style somehow manages to find a balance between whites, pastel colors, signature stripes, tie-dye, casual looks, luxury, a relaxed-fit, ancient craftsmanship techniques, modern silhouettes and a cosmopolitan look clearly made in Africa.

A bunch of questions and a final thought

For the life of me, I cannot find any information about the size of the operation in Ethiopia. How many people does Lemlem employ?  Do they work full time or seasonally? Are they regular employees or does this work as a cooperative? I know I said I preferred that the company focuses their marketing efforts on the fashion they create. That being said, I wish there was some mention of Lemlem's operations at least at one of the interviews and company profiles out there.

Finally, I really hope that Lemlem has a good strategy for its future. I hope they can find the perfect balance between the prices they charge, the volume they can produce and the impact they can have in Ethiopia. I hope they have a clear plan for their next steps. Will they continue to be a niche luxury brand? Will they try to expand and serve bigger segments by growing their manufacturing capabilities and therefore employing more people? Will they seek to grow aggressively or focus on quality? Could they do both? What would it take?  What would it mean for Ehtiopia?

Sometimes exponential growth can break you. Sometimes it can allow you change an entire community. Can't wait to see which road they take!

PS. Lemlem means "to bloom or flourish" in Amharic.


Photos: Lemlem